Let's Find Common Ground

Every day we are bombarded with negative news and polarizing opinions from politicians, pundits, and others who seek attention, power, and money by escalating division. Our guest, Amanda Ripley, calls them "conflict entrepreneurs."

In this podcast, Amanda explains why she believes the problem we face in America isn't too much conflict. Instead, it's the type of disagreement we are having. We hear about the crucial differences between constructive conflict, where different sides seek to find common ground, and destructive conflict where discord distills into a good-versus-evil kind of feud, with an "us" and a "them".

Amanda Ripley is a journalist and columnist for The Washington Post. Her recent book is "High Conflict: Why We Get Trapped and How We Get Out."

Please tell us what you think! Share your feedback in this short survey. For every survey completed, we'll plant 5 trees. Common Ground Podcast Feedback Survey (qualtrics.com)

USC Wrigley Director Joe Árvai joins former White House Climate Advisor Gina McCarthy and New York Times Opinion Columnist Bret Stephens for a conversation on finding common ground in climate conversations. They discuss how climate science leads to action, COVID-19's impact on climate change, the economic impact on climate action, and messaging around climate change.

Featuring:

• Gina McCarthy: First Ever White House Climate Advisor; Former EPA Administrator
• Bret Stephens: Opinion Columnist for The New York Times; Editor-in-Chief of Sapir
• Joe Árvai: Director, USC Wrigley Institute for Environmental Studies
• Bruce Bond: Co-Founder, CEO, & Board Chair of Common Ground Committee

CPF Director Bob Shrum joins former U.S. Representatives Val Demings and Adam Kinzinger for a conversation on the politics of climate with the goal of finding common ground. They discuss political barriers to enacting climate action, climate legislation passed by Congress, and how environmental legislation can help achieve climate justice. Featuring:

• Val Demings: Former U.S. Representative (D-FL)
• Adam Kinzinger: Former U.S. Representative (R-IL)
• Bob Shrum: Director, Center for the Political Future; Warschaw Chair in Practical Politics, USC Dornsife
• Bruce Bond: Co-Founder, CEO, & Board Chair of Common Ground Committee

In honor of Women's History Month, CPF hosts a discussion with former California State Senators Martha Escutia and Fran Pavley on the role of women in politics and the challenges they face as leaders. They discuss how they got involved in politics, Sen. Pavley's landmark work on environmental and climate change legislation, and how they overcame challenges they faced as women legislators in the California Assembly and State Senate.

Featuring:

• Fran Pavley: Former California Senator (2008-2016); Environmental Policy Director, USC Schwarzenegger Institute
• Martha Escutia: Former California Senator (1992-2006); Vice President, USC State Government Relations and Special Counsel; Spring 2023 Fellow, USC Center for the Political Future
• Kamy Akhavan: Executive Director, Center for the Political Future

Our last show focused on finding common ground when talking to strangers. In this show we explore friendship and empathy with two guests who are friends themselves, a Catholic priest and a Protestant pastor.

Father Tim Holeda leads Saint Thomas More Co-Cathedral, and Latricia Scriven is pastor of Saint Paul's United Methodist Church, both in Tallahassee, Florida.

As religious leaders, our guests offer a perspective many people don't have these days. They grapple with moral questions in their work that we often don't consider, and draw on the wisdom of ancient texts to help them navigate our complicated modern world.

Tune in to hear more on this latest episode of Let's Find Common Ground. Thank you to The Village Square and The Village Square's God Squad, a politically diverse group of faith leaders, for making this show possible.

Please tell us what you think! Share your feedback in this short survey. For every survey completed, we'll plant 5 trees. Common Ground Podcast Feedback Survey (qualtrics.com)

CPF Executive Director Kamy Akhavan joins Stavros Lambrinidis, European Union Ambassador to the U.S., for a conversation on the history and current status of the European Union and United States relationship. They discuss EU support for Ukraine, the latest on the post-Brexit Windsor Framework, important human rights issues, and advice for young people who want to get involved in public service.

• Stavros Lambrinidis: European Union Ambassador to the United States
• Kamy Akhavan: Executive Director, Center for the Political Future
• Alison Dundes Renteln: USC Professor of Political Science, Anthropology, Public Policy and Law

Most of us live comfortably in our bubbles, interacting with people who think and often look like us. We may sift out others who don't fit our mold.

A long pandemic hasn't helped: Covid has made many people wary of being around strangers, let alone talking to them. If you live in a city you operate by invisible rules where you pay just enough attention to a stranger, allowing each of you the space to carry on politely…and distantly. But our guest on this episode says taking the time to talk to people you don't know can bring unexpected pleasures, and lead to more openness and tolerance.

Kio Stark is a qualitative researcher and the author of the book When Strangers Meet. She says when you engage with another person in a store, on a park bench, in line at the DMV, you are getting a peek into someone else's world and entering into a shared humanity. You're forging a connection that may help you see the world from another person's perspective.

As Kio says, "a conversation with a stranger can open up your idea of who you think of as part of the society in which you live."

Hear more on the latest episode of Let's Find Common Ground.

Please tell us what you think! Share your feedback in this short survey. For every survey completed, we'll plant 5 trees. Common Ground Podcast Feedback Survey (qualtrics.com)

In the first eight weeks of this year, America's epidemic of mass shootings and gun crimes showed no signs of reprieve. In fact, the crisis may be getting much worse. According to the Gun Violence Archive, a nonprofit group that tracks firearms violence in the U.S., there have been at least 90 mass shootings since January 1.

We take a close look at gun violence and the search for common ground. We learn why so many Americans love guns and say they need them for self-defense. We also hear about differences in regional attitudes to guns, and what happens to communities that witness mass shootings.

Our guests are journalist Patrick Jonsson and gun safety advocate Ryan Busse, author of "Gunfight: My Battle Against the Industry That Radicalized America".

Patrik Jonsson is the Atlanta-based correspondent for The Christian Science Monitor. He writes about The South, gun rights, race, extremist groups, natural disasters, and hockey. Ryan Busse grew up around guns — hunting and shooting with his father and had a long and successful executive career in the gun industry. Despite being a strong critic of the NRA, he's still a proud gun owner, hunter, and outdoorsman who lives in Montana.

Please tell us what you think! Share your feedback in this short survey. For every survey completed, we'll plant 5 trees. Common Ground Podcast Feedback Survey (qualtrics.com)

In honor of Black History Month, USC Dornsife Center for the Political Future (CPF) hosted an all-star panel discussion with Spring 2023 CPF Fellow Stephanie Young and activists Angela Rye and Brittany Packnett Cunningham on their careers, political impact, and challenges. On Tuesday, February 21, these women discussed the importance of Black History Month, how race and identity impact politics, and the current political roadblocks affecting our democracy. This event was in partnership with VoteSC, USC Political Student Assembly, Trojan Democrats, and USC College Republicans.

Featuring:

• Angela Rye: Attorney, Activist, CEO of IMPACT Strategies
• Brittany Packnett Cunningham: Speaker, Political Analyst, Social Justice Champion
• Stephanie Young: Executive Director, When We All Vote; Spring 2023 Barbara Boxer Fellow, USC Center for the Political Future

CPF Director Bob Shrum joins Sir Lindsay Hoyle, Speaker of the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, for a discussion on how the United Kingdom Parliament operates and the special relationship between the United States and the UK. They discuss the powers of the Speaker of the House of Commons, how elections and political parties work in the UK, and advice to students who want to get involved in politics. Featuring:

• Rt Hon Sir Lindsay Hoyle MP: Speaker of the House of Commons of the United Kingdom
• Bob Shrum: Director, Center for the Political Future; Warschaw Chair in Practical Politics, USC Dornsife